Han Chinese subgroups

The sub groups of the Han Chinese are based on linguistics, culture and region within mainland China. The terminology used in Mandarin to describe the groups is: "minxi" (Simplified Chinese: 民系, ethnic lineages) or "zuqun" (Simplified Chinese: 族群, ethnic groups).

These two terms are used in mainland China and Taiwan, respectively, refers to subgroups of the Han Chinese population, whose mother tongue are Chinese languages and does not belong to one of People's Republic of China's 56 official minority ethnic groups of China.

Han subgroups by dialect

Mandarin-speaking groups

• Total Native Han Speakers: 885,000,000

Mandarin is the largest of the Chinese languages. Even in regions where non-Mandarin speakers historically dominated, Mandarin is being brought in as a lingua franca. The Mandarin-speaking groups are the largest group in mainland China, but in the diaspora the Min, Hakka and Cantonese dialects are more numerous.

Wu-speaking groups

• Total Native Han Speakers: 77,175,000

Wu-speaking Chinese, in particular, are concentrated in southern Jiangsu, most of Zhejiang, Shanghai, and parts of southern Anhui, northern Fujian, and northeastern Jiangxi. Scattered remnants of Wu-speaking Chinese are found in other parts of China, such as in Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing and Xinjiang, as a result after 1964. Most of them outside of Jiangnan...
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